4 days ago
1
Bolivian riot constabulary clashed with anti-government protesters successful La Paz connected Friday (May 22, 2026) for the 2nd clip successful a week arsenic unions and Indigenous groups pressed their calls for President Rodrigo Paz to measurement down.
Demands for the business-friendly blimpish to resign person persisted contempt his committedness to respond to the grievances of labour unions and Indigenous communities.
Many businesses successful cardinal La Paz had closed their doors, anticipating a repetition of the clashes that marked a akin objection connected Monday.
"He should resign, damn it!" shouted the assemblage of farmers, labourers, miners, transport workers and teachers who brought postulation to a halt connected the streets of the Andean city.
Mr. Paz came to powerfulness six months ago, successful the midst of the country's worst economical situation since the 1980s, marked by acute shortages of substance and overseas currency and runaway inflation.
Police occurrence teardrop state astatine an anti-government protestation successful La Paz, Bolivia, connected Friday, May 22, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP
"Six months successful bureau and helium hasn't been capable to lick the basics... We person to take betwixt buying nutrient oregon buying milk," Melina Apaza, a 50-year-old demonstrator from the confederate mining heartland of Oruro, told AFP.
Wearing helmets and ponchos, the protesters, galore of whom waved rainbow-colored Indigenous flags, marched toward the metropolis halfway to the din of firecrackers.
Demonstrators hurled sticks and stones astatine riot police, who responded with successive teardrop state rounds and blocked them from reaching the quadrate successful beforehand of authorities buildings.
As the metropolis calmed aboriginal successful the day, hundreds of residents marched done the metropolis halfway successful a counterprotest against the blockades strangling the city, an AFP newsman saw.
The Bolivian authorities said it would deploy a constabulary and subject cognition opening connected Saturday (May 23) greeting to let the transition of goods successful abbreviated proviso successful La Paz done the blockades.
In El Alto, a predominantly Indigenous suburb of La Paz and a hotbed of dissent, demonstrators concisely blocked entree to the city's main planetary airport.
Demonstrators outcry slogans during an anti-government protestation successful La Paz, Bolivia, connected Friday, May 22, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP
Labour Minister fired
Mr. Paz has attempted to instrumentality the vigor retired of the protests by firing his unpopular Labour Minister and promising to springiness the miners and different groups successful the thoroughfare much of a accidental successful shaping policy.
But his overtures look to person fallen abbreviated of the mark.
Roads starring to La Paz proceed to beryllium blockaded by protesters, causing shortages of food, medicine and fuel.
Trade unions began demonstrating successful aboriginal May for wage increases, improved substance supplies and economical stability.
But arsenic the weeks passed, the demonstrations snowballed into a full-blown revolt, marked by calls for the resignation of the U.S.-backed Mr. Paz.
His predetermination -part of a right-wing tide sweeping Latin America - ended 2 decades of socialist regularisation launched by Indigenous coca husbandman Evo Morales successful the mid-2000s.
Mr. Paz's authorities accuses Mr. Morales, who attempted a comeback past twelvemonth contempt being wanted connected charges of trafficking a minor, of fomenting the existent unrest.
Mr. Morales has been hiding retired from constabulary successful his cardinal coca-growing fiefdom of Chapare since precocious 2024.
